


Decorating

by Silent_So_Long



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Comment Fic, Community: jim_and_bones, Domestic, Fluff, Interior Decorating, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-25
Updated: 2011-10-25
Packaged: 2017-10-24 23:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/268900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_So_Long/pseuds/Silent_So_Long
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonard decorates the new apartment he shares with Jim</p>
            </blockquote>





	Decorating

**Author's Note:**

> written for [today’s lovely Daily Captain/Daily Doctor picture post](http://jim-and-bones.livejournal.com/504886.html) on jim_and_bones. Comm is f-locked - must be 18 or over to join and view the pretty!

Despite the overcast skies outside the new apartment, the day was humid and close, air sticky and warm against Leonard’s exposed skin. His t shirt was loose around his sweaty torso, his jeans comfortable and just perfectly old enough for the job at hand. His feet had long since been divested of their socks and slippers, the only other concession Leonard had made to the heat, other than his loose, light clothing. Despite the window being open in the main room, even the air movement afforded by the slight breeze wasn’t quite enough to lift the humidity in the room. The doctor predicted thunderstorms by nightfall and hoped that the main portion of the decorating would be done by then. He didn’t fancy decorating by candlelight, shoudl the electricity falter and fail.

He hummed a little as he worked, applying paint to the walls of the apartment with quick strokes of his brush. He was glad that Jim wasn’t at home to witness either the decorating or his humming; the decorating was supposed to be a surprise for when Jim returned from work and the humming was supposed to be Leonard’s little secret. He didn’t like being labelled as someone who hummed, not being confident enough of his singing voice to expose himself to ridicule from others. He doubted Jim would give him hell for singing, however, other than the usual lover’s gentle jibes that seemed comfortably prevalent between them.

Leonard continued to paint, hazel eyes raking over the surfaces he’d already daubed upon. He had to admit to the himself that the colour was quite nice, a subtle lemon yellow colour that offset the darkness of their furniture. Like the new paint job and even the apartment itself, their furniture was new, now heavily draped in decorator's dust-sheets, to protect their surfaces from the effects of Leonard’s potentially kamikaze painting habits.

Just as he was thinking, with a shudder, about their new couch liberally dotted with paint splatters, a large dollop of paint splattered upon one of his bare feet. He cursed and wiped it off with a nearby wad of old towelling, leaving smears of paint over his toes. Unlike the furniture, his feet could be easily washed, he knew.

He began applying the paint to a fresh wall, humming again to himself, glad for the brief respite from work for the day. He’d prescribed himself a few days off, leaving his medical practice in the hands of Christine Chapel, knowing that she would be able to keep things in check without the whole practice degenerating into a zoo. He smiled at that and continued working alone. He wondered whether Jim would be disappointed that he hadn’t had the chance to help; after all, the decorating, like the furniture purchases, was supposed to be a joint effort. Leonard had merely wanted to surprise his lover with a job well done, considering that Leonard himself had the time to do it.

By the end of the afternoon, the whole main area of the apartment had been given a fresh sheen of paint, walls in the living area receding into the kitchen in long lines of lemon yellow freshness. Leonard stood back and admired his handiwork with a brief smile, before retreating to the window to gain a better look. He installed himself upon the raised flooring in front of the full length window, marble flooring cool against the seat of hi jeans as he settled back wearily. He glanced around at his handiwork, toes flexing as he relaxed and nodded to himself at a job well done.

He was still sitting there five minutes later, when the door banged open, admitting a flurrying life form that could only be described as Jim Kirk and a flurry of laden shopping bags. Jim was an excitable force of nature that could barely be contained by Leonard himself, yet the doctor had yet to find a way to truly tame him. Leonard himself didn’t want to change the other man’s attitude too much, however; Jim’s excitable, almost child-like view on life was often refreshing and was one of the reasons why Leonard loved him.

“Hey, Bones,” Jim said, when he saw Leonard still sitting quietly by the window. “You’re looking very relaxed and pleased with yourself. What have you been up to?”

Leonard frowned then, with a harrumph, as he wondered to himself why Jim hadn’t noticed his hard work. He gestured about the apartment, making the other man glance round, grin suddenly breaking out over Jim’s face.

“Dammit, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a layabout. I’ve been working,” Leonard protested.

“You decorated,” Jim observed, with approval clear in his tones. “No wonder you look pleased. I thought I was supposed to help you at the weekend.”

“It was a surprise,” Leonard replied, calmly.

“It sure was that. I think we picked the right colour for the walls, Bones,” Jim replied, as he turned, taking in the yellow smoothness of the walls.

“You did,” Leonard conceded, knowing that the choice of colour was Jim’s idea and not, originally, his own.

Leonard had wanted a cool sea-blue, but now knew that his colour choice would have made the apartment too cold, too uninviting, in comparison with the much warmer lemon yellow. Like Jim himself, the walls were warm and sunny, more welcoming than cool and diffident. Leonard made to stand, yet Jim waved him back down eagerly.

“No, you stay where you are. I have a surprise of my own,” he said, as he plonked the bags he’d been carrying down upon the dust sheet covered table in the middle of the room. “I stopped to get food on the way home from work. Just as well I did; I think this calls for a celebration. “

“Yeah? Sounds good me, m’dear,” Leonard replied, as he crossed his ankles in front of him, in a true sign of extreme relaxation.

Jim glanced over at him and smiled at the relaxed sight his lover made, long legs crossed before the doctor, lean body leaning against hands splayed behind him. Leonard,, in short, looked contented, smile just teasingly touching the corners of his full lips as he glanced about their apartment. Jim looked away when Leonard’s gaze settled against him once more, busying himself instead upon pulling Chinese food in steaming white cartons from the bags, filling the place with the aromas of Sweet and Sour Chicken and Chicken Chow Mein.

Leonard waited until Jim approached and accepted the carton the other man handed to him, taking the proffered chopsticks that Jim handed to him. He started eating, glancing up when the other man settled close beside him, thighs touching in comfortable lines. Jim nudged Leonard’s naked foot with his own, before speaking.

“You did a good job with the decorating, Bones,” he said, seriously, grin gone now. “Thanks for that. It made a nice surprise.”

“I know. I’m glad. Thanks, darlin’,” Leonard replied, with a pleased smile, before leaning in for a kiss.

Jim responded, eyes fluttering closed, as the kiss turned into a longer one than the intended peck on the mouth. Leonard finally pulled away, a smile clear in his eyes. Jim smiled back, then, before digging into his Chow Mein hungrily. Leonard snorted and shook his head, brief blissful domesticity gone in an instant of hot noodles and soy sauce. He sighed and dug into his own meal, lifting battered chunks of chicken from his carton with expert ease. He chewed thoughtfully as he surveyed the room, content in the knowledge that life in the apartment was going to be a good one.

After the meal had been consumed and the cartons disposed of in the garbage, Jim helped Leonard to remove the dust-sheets from the furniture, pulling the plastic sheeting off in great whooping swathes. Leonard had to chuckle at the other man’s antics as Jim flung the dust sheets every which way that he could, even as the doctor steadfastly picked up after him.

Finally, the room was cleared, looking bright and cheerful in the soft glow of the dimmed lighting and the two men stood side by side admiring the newness of their apartment. Leonard felt Jim’s hand slip into his own and curled his fingers about the other man’s.

“Thanks, Bones. This is perfect,” Jim said, as he leant in for another kiss.

Leonard hummed out his agreement against Jim’s mouth, before allowing himself to be led into the bedroom, whereupon he showed Jim just how perfect things could be.

~~ the end ~~


End file.
